Sixty tons of expired food items and medicines destroyed in Balkh

The Directorate of Public Health in Balkh province has burnt nearly 60 tons of poor quality and expired food items and medicines collected over the past four months.

The materials, which include 35 tons of medicines and 24 tons of food items, were collected from the provincial capital Mazar-e-Sharif city and districts.

Officials in Balkh Public Health Directorate said that the burned materials were valued 8 million afghanis.

Government institutions speak of serious fight against the buying and selling of poor quality and expired items.

“God willing, we intend to designate an area for the Public Health Department of Balkh province, and then, God willing, we will set fire in that specific place,” Mohammad Mohammadi, the head of Balkh Environment Protection Department, said.

Officials in the Pharmaceutical Services Union in North Zone said that they are taking serious measures to prevent imports of expired medicines.

“We pledge to the people that we will produce quality medicines according to the people’s demand and sell it to the people under the supervision of the food and drug authority and the Department of Public Health,” Shoaib Safi, the head of the Pharmaceutical Services Union in North Zone, said.

According to official data, nearly 120 tons of expired and poor quality medicines and food items have been collected and destroyed in Balkh in the past one year.